The East Alton, Illinois-based law firm is a sponsor of the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma 2009 to be held June 25-27 in Washington, DC.
East Alton, IL (PRWEB) June 22, 2009 -- No single event better symbolizes the integrity and power of the mesothelioma community than the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma. This year, the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma (co-sponsored by SimmonsCooper) is in Washington, DC from June 25-27. The three-day mesothelioma awareness event, held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, will feature a different theme for each day: advocacy, renewing the spirit, and treatment.
The symposium attracts leading international mesothelioma experts, mesothelioma patients, caregivers, loved ones and advocates. It is organized annually by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) with the aim of highlighting the latest advances in mesothelioma research and treatment for patients and caregivers. The conference also creates and sustains a community that fosters support to patients and loved ones while encouraging advocacy and volunteer opportunities in the quest to find a cure for mesothelioma.
"The symposium is an important time of activism, community and education for people that have been affected by mesothelioma," says John Simmons, SimmonsCooper founding partner. "And we are honored to be involved both financially and personally with all the solidarity and empowerment that stems from those three days. SimmonsCooper has always embraced advocacy and outreach as fundamental to our mission."
SimmonsCooper's extensive history of contributing time, money and resources toward charitable efforts to find a cure for mesothelioma is well documented. Most notably, in 2008 the firm established the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University. This community-based patient care, research, education and outreach program was anchored by a $10.2 million donation comprised of annual gifts and a multi-year pledge by SimmonsCooper partners to help fund the development.
Also in 2008, the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) recognized SimmonsCooper with the John C. McAndrews Award, an award that honors members of the legal profession who have shown extraordinary commitment to providing free legal services to the poor. Among SimmonsCooper's pro bono work for which the award was granted:
- Representing more than 100 St. Louis-area homeless military veterans
- Securing more than $13 million in compensation for workers who contracted cancer via thorium exposure during nuclear-weapons work in Madison, Illinois
- Collaborating closely with local judges to guarantee that downstate Illinois soldiers returning from Iraq would have access to legal services as needed
- Arranging veterans-advocacy training in conjunction with the Madison County Bar Association for the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC) at the John Marshall Law School
As recently as May, the firm sponsored the creation of an application on Facebook for a charitable cause of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The application reached more than 18,000 people and raised $22,641 for mesothelioma research in the name of a 4-year-old Colorado mesothelioma victim.
Highlights of the symposium's three days are:
Day One: Advocacy
Meetings will be held with the offices of a local House representative and two senators. Attendees will travel to Capitol Hill to urge federal leaders to commit funding to medical research and to ban asbestos.
Day Two: Renewing the Spirit
A tribute ceremony will be held for bereaved family members. Separate break-out groups will be led by professionals focusing on the differing needs of patients, caregivers and those who have lost a loved one. Topics include counseling in social security, bereavement, acupuncture, guided imagery and journaling. Participants can also interact in a roundtable on mesothelioma topics, including nutrition, genetics, pain management, radiology and oncology. Day two will culminate in the Celebration of Hope gala dinner, where patients will be honored alongside the recipients of three major awards.
Day Three: Treatment
Mesothelioma medical experts will discuss the latest strategies in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma and address questions to empower legal advocates and others who work closely with mesothelioma patients. The experts include the symposium co-chairs, Nicholas Vogelzang, M.D., Director of the Nevada Cancer Institute and Raffit Hassan, M.D., Investigator and Section Chief at the National Cancer Institute.
About SimmonsCooper:
SimmonsCooper LLC is one of the country's leading asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms. With offices in Illinois and California, the firm has represented over 2,000 patients and families affected by mesothelioma in nearly every state in the country. SimmonsCooper has pledged over $10 million to cancer research and proudly works with top mesothelioma medical experts throughout the country, supporting their work toward a cure. The law firm has also created a mesothelioma video library to provide information and support to mesothelioma victims and their families.
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